In New York City, there are nearly 1 million college students, making it the largest college town in the United States. In Manhattan alone, there are over 100 college campuses and universities. Yet the sad reality is that very few people are reaching these college students with the gospel.
No college or university in New York City is more than 1% reached with the gospel, and according to the New York Metrolina Baptist Association, college students make up an unreached people group of their own.
The Powerful Percent
Roughly 1% of the world’s population goes to college. Interestingly, this 1% of college graduates goes on to be the next generation of leaders in the world in nearly every area of life—in education, business, government, and culture—giving them the nickname, “The Powerful Percent.”
As you may know, New York City is known as the “Melting Pot” of America, because of its great diversity. But the truth is, not only are the nations represented in New York City, the future leaders of those nations—and our own nation—are also represented in New York City!
This is exactly why we believe that reaching college students with the gospel in New York City is the most strategic way for us to reach as many people, nations, and cultures for Christ as possible in the world today.
“The university is a clear-cut fulcrum with which to move the world. More potently than by any other means, change the university and you change the world.”
—Charles Malik, Former Secretary General of the United Nations
Network
The more time we spend praying about God’s calling on our lives to plant a church in New York City that intentionally reaches college students for Christ, the more convicted we are that our faith is far too small.
We originally planned to reach a select few college campuses around our church in Manhattan, but over time, God has made it abundantly clear that He wants us to start a network as an extension of our church that reaches every single college and university in New York City with the gospel.
We know that’s a big undertaking, but we believe that our God is bigger! After all, if God is for us, who can be against us? If God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also graciously give us all things now in Christ? (Romans 8:31-32)
What are you praying and believing God for today that is impossible unless God intervenes and moves on your behalf?
Missions Mobilization
As we make disciples here in New York City—especially among college students, many of whom are international students—we want to commission them to live for Jesus and continue to make disciples when they go home.
As the Lord leads, when they go home, we’re going to send a missionary with them, who has been trained in house, so that together they can champion the work of planting a healthy church, start disciple making movements, and strategically work to reach the unreached people groups in their own country with the gospel.